VERSACE FALL 2016 AD CAMPAIGN

For the Versace Fall 2016 ad campaign, Donnatella Versace casts Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss as they step into a maternal role showcasing the sultry designs from the Italian brand. The family-friendly campaign features both men’s and women’s collections.

There is Karlie, emerging from her car on streets of Chicago with her two fictitious children and her model husband, played by a former bodyguard and Afghanistan vet. Gigi also walks the streets of the Midwest city, hand-in-hand with a pint-sized model, the rest of her multiracial model family in tow.

Photographer Bruce Weber, returning to the brand for the first time since he last shot for them in 1999, strategically chose the Midwest city for the backdrop of this campaign. He told The New York Times‘ Vanessa Friedman that he was inspired by the city after reading a story about the controversial pastor, Father Mike, in the New Yorker. “I went to hear him speak before we started shooting, and he was talking about politics and the need to restore old neighborhoods, and it made me think I wanted these pictures to mean something to the city,” Webber said.

While the top models do shine in the images, they share the spotlight with local Chicago talent. A slew of local musicians and dancers, including those from The Future Kingz, Hubbard Street and Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, were included in the shoot.